The present invention relates to computers, and deals more particularly with identifying distinct groupings of related objects (such as nodes and links in a message flow) for display on a user interface.
In user interfaces where information is presented that is provided by a series of nodes and links, the overall relationship of the resources being shown is not always known. In many cases, the information in the underlying data source(s) is disjoint. For example, in a system where a number of message flows (or equivalently, message call paths) exist, a situation might arise where Process A calls Process P which calls Process X and Process Z. Additionally, another flow within the system might comprise Process D calling Process E which in turn calls Process F. In known systems, these relationships may be stored as discrete pieces of information. For example, a record in a first database might record that Process A calls Process P, and a record in a second database might record that Process P calls Process X and perhaps still another database contains the record that Process P calls Process Z.
Known systems may (for example) provide this pair-wise relationship information to the user interface as the discrete pieces of information. However, layout or display of the data, especially in a topological view, is typically done based on how the data will fit the display area best, such as according to path length or other considerations, rather than actual relationships. This does not provide a logical context for the display, and can make interpretation of the data difficult for the user.